Part 22 (1/2)

On his left noere the arcades shut off froh the ironwork Ar in the courtyard He heard ato his friend that these were the feht to trial that day, and he felt that his heartthem

He elbowed his way cautiously to the front rank Soon he found hiood-huht watch the aristos Ar, and his every sense was concentrated in that of sight

At first he could scarcely distinguish one woed the courtyard, and the close ironwork hindered his view considerably The wo slowly along with noiseless tread on the flag-stones

Presently, however, his eyes, which mayhap were sorey light and the uish isolated groups nooether under the colonnaded arcades, so and darning a poor, torn gown Then there were others ere actually chatting and laughing together, and--oh, the pity of it! the pity and the sha hide and seek in and out ast the columns

And, between them all, in and out like the children at play, unseen, yet falass in hand, wandered, majestic and sure

Arht sight of his beloved, and slowly--very slowly--a ray of hope was filtering through the darkness of his despair

The sentinel, who had stood aside for him, chaffed hi these aristos, citizen?” he asked ”You see theh clothes soiled with coal-dust, his face grimy and streaked with sweat, certainly looked to have but little in coroups in the courtyard He looked up; the soldier was regarding hiht of Arave vent to a coarse jest

”Have Ithat lot?”

”I do not knohere she is,” said Armand almost involuntarily

”Then why don't you find out?” queried the soldier

The ether unkindly Ar desire to know, threw the last fragment of prudence to the wind He assu to look as like a country bumpkin in love as he could

”I would like to find out,” he said, ”but I don't knohere to inquire

My sweetheart has certainly left her hohtly; ”some say that she has been false to me, but I think that, aby,” said the soldier good-huht to La Tournelle; you knohere it is?”

Arht it norant lout

”Straight down that first corridor on your right,” explained the other, pointing in the direction which he had indicated, ”you will find the guichet of La Tournelle exactly opposite to you Ask the concierge for the register of female prisoners--every freeborn citizen of the Republic has the right to inspect prison registers It is a new decree fra the liberty of the people But if you do not press half a livre in the hand of the concierge,” he added, speaking confidentially, ”you will find that the register will not be quite ready for your inspection”

”Half a livre!” exclai to play his part to the end

”How can a poor devil of a labourer have half a livre to give away?”

”Well! a few sous will do in that case; a few sous are alelcome these hard times”

Armand took the hint, and as the crowd had drifted away momentarily to a further portion of the corridor, he contrived to press a few copper coins into the hand of the obliging soldier

Of course, he knew his way to La Tournelle, and he would have covered the distance that separated hi like the wind, but, co himself for his own prudence, he walked as slowly as he could along the interminable corridor, past the severalthe courtyard where thestruck sharply to his left and ascended a short flight of stairs, he found hiuichet--a narroooden box, wherein the clerk in charge of the prison registers sat nominally at the disposal of the citizens of this free republic

But to Arrin he found the place entirely deserted The guichet was closed down; there was not a soul in sight

The disappoint as it did in the wake of hope that had refused to be gainsaid Aruine he had been until he discovered that he ain--wait for hours, all day et definite news of Jeanne

He wandered aimlessly in the vicinity of that silent, deserted, cruel spot, where a closed trapdoor seeht of Jeanne He inquired of the first sentinels whoisters would be back at his post; the soldiers shrugged their shoulders and could give no infors round La Tournelle, his fruitless inquiries, his wild, excited search for the hide-bound official as keeping froe of Jeanne

He went back to his sentinel isher by the woement there